Cherry Rhubarb Crisp

First of all we had to take a trip to Target to buy a cherry pitter.  I saw ways I could do it without this handy device but I figured I would spend the $12. on a pitter that got good reviews, OXO brand, since I have so many cherries to pit.  This is the coolest device!  I love a good kitchen gadget and this one works like a charm.  London and I had fun pitting some cherries just to eat this afternoon.  She thought the pitter was "awesome".

For my first cherry recipe I followed a recipe I found on twopeasandtheirpod.com.  I followed it almost exactly except I added vanilla to both the crumble topping and the cherry rhubarb filling.  I can tell you this, the topping is excellent but the filling was too tart for my liking.  (I ate my serving anyways, all of it.)  If I were to make this combination again I would add sugar to the filling.  But I think in a few days I will try a crisp again but only cherry.

The cherry pitter in action.  The only sad part is that it pops out a tiny bit of cherry on the other end that had I put that cherry in my mouth would end up in my tummy instead of the pit jar.  : /

The pit jar, with tiny bits of good yummy cherry in it.

The pitted cherries

Chopped up cherries!

3 cups chopped cherries
2 cups chopped rhubarb
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp flour
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter cut into small bits
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp vanilla

Pre-heat oven to 375.  Prepare an 8 x 8 pan or similar sized pan.  In one bowl mix cherries, rhubarb, cornstarch and vanilla.  Set aside.  In a new bowl combine oats, flour, cinnamon and salt.  Add butter bits and mix by hand until crumbly.  Then add honey and vanilla.   Stir with a wooden spoon.  Pour cherry mixture into pan and then top with oat topping.  Place in oven for about 30 minutes.  Until the top is golden and the cherry rhubarb filling is bubbly red.  :)  Eat warm plain or with ice cream.  We ate it plain.

Finished crisp.  

Like I said before, for me it was tart but London ate it up and said it wasn't tart but perfect.  She can be sweet at times.  Oh and my baby boy is the best!  He is an avid reader at 13 months and will drop any tantrum if you offer him a book.  I'm serious.  So I wanted to bake.  I plopped him down in front of his book collection and kept checking back only to find him in the same position.  Love this baby!

Tomorrow I will make another cherry recipe.  I think it will be another sweet one but I am thinking on Monday we will try a savory cherry recipe.  Hmmmm, did I mention that a few weeks ago I won 10 pounds of organic pork?  Stay tuned!

Namaste!

It's Raining Cherries!

I am so so lucky to live in Idaho.  (I never in a million years would have thought that statement would have come out of my mouth but it just did.)  When my parents moved to St. Croix in the USVI my Dad told me that in his mind he was going to give it 5 years.  If after that they didn't like it they would move.  At 5 years he liked it and didn't hate it so they decided to give it 5 more years.  After those 10 years he said he was stuck.  He loved it so much he never wanted to move away.  When Patrick and I moved to Idaho he gave me that advice, give it 5 years.  Well we are now on 6 and I would have to say that at year 5 something magical happened.  I realized that I had made friends, discovered places that I love to eat and frequent, we had two children that have friends, well the older one does at least, and I have decided I really like Idaho.  :/  (Still can't believe that is coming out of my mouth!  I'm freaking out a bit as I write this, really!)  Anyways aside from the freak out going on right now, I do, I really like it here.  Part of this is because I've moved to Eagle and into an awesome neighborhood.  We always lived in West Boise.  I liked it okay.  Actually I was pretty miserable.  I was begging Patrick to let us move, hoping he would want to move to an island that has a lot of mosquitos that leave me alone and bite the hell out of him.  At one point he was seriously considering it.  He even interviewed at some jobs and was offered one.  But life changed in a big way and we decided to stay put.  We moved to Eagle and magic happened.  I love it here.  A simple change in scenery and I was hooked.  Eagle is close enough to downtown Boise but far enough away to feel more country.  The downtown is quaint and the library only 10 minutes away by bike.  The neighborhood has lakes and ducks and geese, there is even a resident beaver that they are trying to get rid of but we've been lucky enough to spot it.  London can fish in the lakes, catch and release and we can bike to our hearts content, which is never enough for Lucca.  Even better is that Emmett, Idaho is only 25 minutes away.  What is in Emmett you may ask?  Orchards of course!

Tyler's Rocky Point Orchard in Emmett Idaho
Cherries, Apricots, Apples and Plums
(We will be going back for Apricots.)

Cherries are in season.  In fact the orchard just opened on Wednesday for u-pick cherries.  I couldn't pass up the opportunity to pay $1.05 per pound for cherries.  (At the store they range from $2.98 - $4.98 per pound.  I know because I bought some two weeks ago and almost fell to the floor when I saw the total.)  So I got London super excited and used the opportunity to re-teach pollination to her.  This helps her to also understand why we should be kind to bees seeing that they help our garden grow.  (Wasps are another story.)  Off we went, leaving the house at 9:30 am to beat the heat and pick some cherries!

A few hours and a picnic later, we were done.  We took our time, Lucca strapped to my back made the picking slow and we both had to stick to the lower branches which was actually just fine for us.  As is the case with most children, London ate more that she picked, well maybe it was a draw.  Either way she had a blast, I had a blast and Lucca enjoyed my back.  No he liked it.   We played peek a boo and stuff like that.

The Cherries were pulling the branches down so far that some were touching the ground.  Easy picking for a 5 year old.

London picking, she either put it in the cup "for Daddy" or ate it.  Not sure which but both are probable.

Trying to get a portrait of Lucca on my back by myself is hard.  London was too busy eating, I mean picking, to help.  (Where did her helping spirit go?!)

At this moment in my extra fridge in the garage, which we were just about to unplug since we've gone through all our organic beef, is twelve, 12!, pounds of cherries.  I guess we picked enough.  I'm not sure yet if we picked enough but I will soon find out.  Tomorrow I am going to buy a cherry pitter and get to work.  What is in the works?  Well you will have to tune in to find out.  I promise I will post more.  I have some things planned and guess what they involve?  You guessed it!  Cherries!!

The cherries in my fridge right now.  (Or course this is not all 12 pounds but a close up so you could be jealous of me being able to grab a handful and eat them if I wanted to, which I do and will when I am done with this blog.  Now.)

Namaste!

Salsa Verde

We have been having a great few weeks here at the Palmer home. Lucca is gaining weight! We are so happy it's contagious. He is barely spitting up as well. Can you say miracle?! He is still spitting but the change is huge. (He went to the store the other day with no bib on and didn't spit up the entire time!)

I am still on my restrictive diet but have come to embrace it, except when I don't feel like cooking and we go out to eat. Most restaurants have few options that I can actually eat and we've even gone somewhere before counting on them having gluten free corn tortillas just to find out they were out. This was after the other food was ordered and being made. I got to come home and eat cereal after watching my family eat super yummy food. That is the extreme though and for the most part I am loving this diet. I feel like I have more energy. I am not hungry between meals and for that reason I am not snacking. I have lost all the baby weight plus some. This has me feeling fabulous!

For the last month I've been trying to perfect my Salsa Verde. I think tomatillos are in season somewhere because there are big boxes of them at my grocery store.

I think I've done it, for now at least. Here is my Salsa Verde recipe, with little to no quantities since I really don't like measuring:

a bunch of tomatillos - try and pick them up individually. It takes more time but if you just grab a bunch you will end up with some moldy ones or some that are almost bad.

one small onion

one clove of garlic

one jalapeno

salt

Preheat your broiler in your oven.

Line a baking tray with foil, for easy cleanup.

Peal the husk off of the tomatillo and cut in half.

Place the tomatillo skin side up on the baking tray.

Dice your onion and place on tray along with the clove of garlic.

Quarter the jalapeno and take out the seeds and veins. (Be very careful to not get the juice in your eye and to wash your hands immediately after or to wear gloves.)Place the pepper on the tray skin side up.

Place the tray in the oven and check back until the tomatillos are browning on the top. I left mind until they were pretty brown on top. (Your kitchen will smell delicious!) I don't know how long this took because I forgot to look at the clock but just keep checking. Remember, with broiling food can burn very quickly so if it looks almost done, don't walk away, stay put and check often.

Take out of the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Now you can blend the ingredients together. (I only used 1/4 of the jalapeno since I am nursing a baby, I have a 4 year old that was going to eat this salsa and my husband is not Mexican.) I used my immersion blender and it worked wonderfully but you could use a regular blender or a food processor to get the job done. Blend until the consistency that you desire.

Now taste and then add salt if you need it. Remember that it is going on food that you might have already salted so don't add too much.

Last night I made my salsa to use on my enchiladas but the last time I made this salsa I used it on pork chops. The nice thing is that you get leftovers to use as dip for chips. YUMMY!

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

Namaste!

It's Baby Food Making Time!

Well the little one is now 8 months old. It is a new year and I have yet to blog consistently. I will again soon, promise. :) Right now we are concentrating all our efforts on helping Lucca gain weight and grow. He still is spitting up a whole lot but thankfully he is gaining. Slowly I might add, but any gain is good gain in my opinion. Part of helping him to gain weight was to let go of a goal of mine. I originally wanted to breastfeed exclusively until the little guy was 6 months or even 7. I almost made that goal until he decided to not gain any weight for two weeks. Not a single ounce! So I made the decision a week before his 6 month date to start him on solids and to not take my time with them.

Like most women, I had ideas of what I was going to do with my babies before I even had them. One of those things was to breastfeed. My Mom breastfed both my sister and me, and my sister breastfed her daughter, and now son, before I had my first. I never thought any different, I knew I would breastfeed my daughter the minute I found out I was pregnant. Another thing I knew I would do with my babies was to make their baby food. Again both the prominent women in my life did it so I figured it was normal and just what I was going to do. My Mom used to tell us how she would take along a food mill to restaurants or wherever and just grind us our food right then and there. (No wonder both of us love food and were never really picky eaters.) My sister made her daughters food using a great book which she then passed on to me. I've mentioned it before, it's by Ruth Yaron and called The Super Baby Food Diet, or something along those lines. So when I decided to start Lucca on solids I knew just what I was going to do. Start making food!

Making baby food is one of the easiest things you can do in the kitchen. It is also one of the most rewarding things you can do in the kitchen. Watching your baby eat fresh, not canned, food that you prepared with love is a great feeling. This mini blog isn't really a cooking recipe or anything like that. Just a little information on how you can easily make your own baby food. The first food, and a staple that he has every night, was avocado. You heard me right! It is one of the best foods for babies. It has so many healthy fats that help babies brains grow smart, and help babies that are trying to gain weight to put on some ounces. :) Seriously, he eats it every single night, HALF an avocado!! (Patrick and I constantly tell each other that if he didn't spit up so much, he would be a sumo wrestler. He loves his food!) With avocado, just buy a ripe one and mash it with a fork. Add breastmilk or water to make it not so thick and voila! Baby food!!

For most foods you would steam the vegetable until soft and then puree in the blender. Adding the steaming liquid to thin it out. After I puree the vegetable or fruit I then place into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen I pop out the cubes of food into a labeled freezer bag and there you go. Individual cubes of food. Depending on age and likes they can eat just one cube or two or more. Most of the time Lucca eats two, I tell you he would be fat if we could just put a plug in him!! (I wish it were that simple, I really really do.)

Here is a picture of my freezer today. (Not in order, Squash, Papaya, Prunes, Pears, Apples, Green Beans, Carrots and Sweet Potatoes.) He's got some fresh spinach in the fridge too. Yummy. What baby would love to taste fresh homemade foods!!

NEVER add sweetener, not even fruit juice. NEVER add salt or spices. Let your baby taste it for what it is. Their tongue doesn't need to be trained to need sweets or salt. Let them try it the way it is supposed to be tasted.

NEVER assume baby doesn't like it. ALWAYS keep trying. One bit of advice my Mom gave us is to never say anything negative about food in front of a baby or little one. (For example if you don't like green beans don't offer that information up, just smile and tell your little one how yummy it is. And force yourself to eat a bit of it too, it whole form.) This advice has been great! I think it's the best thing you can do for your kids. Give them no judgement but their own. Let them decide what they like or don't like. But remember, just because they might not want it one night doesn't mean they won't like it or want it the next.

On another note, I got to participate in the Target Nurse-In!! (This is where breastfeeding moms get to band together and go nurse in public at a location that was not tolerant or kind to a fellow breastfeeding mom.) I have wanted to participate in a nurse-in since London was born but have never had the opportunity. I ended up being the only one at my location but let me tell you how great it felt to know that I, along with thousands of other moms, were at Target last Wednesday nursing our babies to send a message. Nursing in Public is perfectly acceptable with or with out a cover! I have nursed both my babies everywhere and have never thought twice about it. (I thank my sister for that courage. She knows what I'm talking about. I used to be uneducated on that topic but she set me straight!) I took along London and she got to learn how important the topic is just by seeing Mommy stand up for what she believes in. She even took this picture of me.

What a great little girl. (So great in fact, that today she nursed the doll at the Chiropractors office while we were waiting for our turn. Lifted up her shirt, found her nipple and placed that doll on! YEAH for nursing in public!)

Namaste,

Natasha

Fall Roast Chicken

I realize it's been a long while since I've actively blogged and I am sorry about that. I have had a rough year full of not so pleasant surprises and filled with one giant wonderful addition. Lucca Paul has been the best thing to happen this year and I am so grateful for him. Amidst all the troubles I know I have this sweet sweet little baby that needs me and loves me more than anything else in the world.

However, Lucca is having tummy issues. He spits up all the time, and more than normal babies do I might add. So much so that we have visited a few doctors and specialists to figure things out. He isn't gaining weight and so where did I turn? I turned to a naturopath. (I turned towards a lot of doctors and even left the Pediatrician that we loved to find a new one because she told me to stop breastfeeding. As if?!?!) The naturopath suggested I change my diet. She said a lot of babies and children develop sensitivities. Not allergies but sensitivities towards certain foods that make their way through the breast milk. I jumped on board. Anything I can do to help my baby gain the proper weight and grow. This new diet means: NO gluten, NO dairy, NO soy, NO eggs and NO nuts. Yeah, I know that's a lot of no's. What can I eat? Vegetables, fruits, and proteins. So as I started this new eating journey I was inspired to blog again. Finally, right?! Gone are the sandwiches for lunch or quesadillas which were staples. Now I have to really thing and read labels before I cook or eat. It's been kind of fun and kind of frustrating. I think I have things figured out now. Most of my cooking hasn't really been altered. The things that get me are the add ins. Broths that contain caramel coloring, gluten, or the canola oil spray for nonstick which has soy lecithin. And you would not believe the butter that every restaurant puts into things. I am now one of those people that at a restaurant asks what the ingredients are before I order. So I am carefully learning and proceeding with caution. Has it helped the little man? Yes. :) Now, I am still covered in spit up each and every day but the it's only been a week and the volume is much less. He is doing so much better. I think this hard work is going to pay off. Let me tell you though, I am seriously missing my breads and making cookies and most of all my quesadillas for lunch. (Today I made them for London and Patrick and just stared at the cheese as it melted between the tortilla longing for it to just jump into my mouth.)

So here I am during the season of Fall. Once again it comes. Leaves are falling to the ground and the air is crisp boarding on cold. I am craving soups, stews and warm yummy foods. Now these things all have to adhere to my diet, which isn't so hard after all.

Tonights dinner is smelling wonderful as we 'speak'.

Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken with Potatoes and Carrots

3-4 pound chicken

1 lemon

sprigs of Rosemary

onion

new potatoes

baby carrots

olive oil

salt and pepper

Herbs de Provence

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Rinse your chicken under cold water, inside and out. (Don't forget to take out the giblets if it has any.) Pat dry with paper towels. Oil a baking dish and place the chicken inside. Stuff the cavity with half an onion, cut in half again, rosemary and half a lemon. Gently tug the skin away from the breasts and slide slices of lemons under the skin, between the breast and skin. Tuck the wings under and if you have twine tie the legs together. I had not twine so they stayed apart.

Place the potatoes, either halved or whole, and carrots around the chicken. Salt and pepper everything and sprinkle the Herbs de Provence all over as well. Drizzle olive oil on top.

Place about a cup of water or broth into the pan, over the carrots and potatoes.

Place in oven and bake for 1 - 1 1/2 hours. Rotate the pan once in a while to create a nice even brown.

Sit back and enjoy the smells while it cooks too. Yummy!

I hope you enjoy this and forgive me for taking such a long break.

As promised....

Namaste

Natasha

Brussel Sprouts

It's been a long long time my friends! I had a precious little baby about 3 months ago and just haven't been able to sit down at the computer long enough to write a blog. I've barely just gotten back into the swing of making dinner. For those of you who've had babies you understand the making dinner thing. That and bedtime are the two hardest parts of the day. It's summer now and we've made it to the farmer's market a few times. Sometimes naps have been more important that farmer's market trips and sometimes by the time we are ready to leave it's late and then the market is crowded. But we've gone and little L is carried around in his Ergo baby carrier and loves every minute of it, mostly because he sleeps so well in there!

Spring brought some yummy fresh produce and now is the time for cooking with wonderful fresh produce. Big L has been begging me to buy some brussel sprouts. Mostly because they look so cute, little green balls that look like lettuce! So I did. I've never been a huge fan of brussel sprouts but a few years ago I was watching Lydia Bastianich's cooking show on PBS and she made them look amazing. I decided I would give it a go.

brussel sprouts

butter

olive oil

salt and pepper

garlic

The first thing you need to do is prepare your brussel sprouts. Most people think that brussel sprouts are bitter and they are, at least the core is. What I do is core each sprout, take out the center. IT's a lot of work but it's worth it. Use a small sharp knife and cut out the core.

Then peel the brussel sprout like a cabbage. Then you can start the cooking part.

Heat your pan on medium heat. Add some olive oil and about a tablespoon of butter. Add the brussel sprout leaves and sautee. While cooking add some garlic to taste. I like to use the microplane and zest the clove so that I don't end up with large chunks of garlic. Add your salt and pepper to taste and possibly a bit more butter. This makes a great side dish.

You will find that the sprouts are not so bitter like this and you may even find a new favorite side dish.

I've been making homemade sorbet a lot the past month so I think my next blog will be of the sorbet. My only problem is I keep forgetting to take a picture of the final product. I have the pictures of making it, just not the actual sorbet. I plan on making some more soon and will get a picture of the whole process and the final product.

Enjoy!! Namaste

A Taste of Summer

Saturday was the first day of the Farmer's Market here in Boise. If you have followed my blog you would know that I am an avid Farmer's Market goer. London and I tend to go almost every Saturday. It was supposed to rain but then when we woke up it was sunny and not a cloud in the sky. We got dressed, jumped in the car and London was licking her lips saying over and over "Croissants!" Yes, it has been our tradition to always buy a croissant from a local French cafe and someone did not forget that tradition. She was a little disappointed when they said they were out of the ham and cheese ones but settled for a chocolate one. (So sad I know.) :) For the first day it was so crowded. I have mixed emotions about the crowds. I feel sad that it's not so intimate but happy that more people are eating locally and supporting the farmer's of Idaho. They have expanded the size but there were still so many people. A few of my favorite performers were there and London got to enjoy the music while eating her croissant. It's still pretty early and even though the Farmer's were there, they didn't have much to offer. A few had some bags of lettuce but that was about it. I know in the next couple weeks they will start to have delicious asparagus and peas. I love fresh spring asparagus, so tender and full of flavor.

London has always been pretty shy with other little kids and it takes her a while to get comfortable enough to talk and then play with them. This week she surprised me and made a couple immediate friends while playing in some grass. They were holding hands and running around. When they had to say goodbye they gave each other hugs. It made the day even better. But I'd have to say the very best thing about that day was the sun. I finally got a taste of early summer and I can now say that I am craving it. This summer will be very different with a new baby joining us in everything we do. I am so tired of the cold and the rain. I am ready, more than ready, for the warmth of the sun on my body and open windows in my house. Hopefully it will come soon so we can get some outside play going on.

With that, I encourage you all to go out and find your local Farmer's Market and go browse. Even if all you do is browse, there is a great feel out there. People are happy enjoying the outdoors and looking at what all their local craftsmen and farmer's have to offer. You can then go home feeling rejuvenated and positive about what's going on out there in your area. It's a great start to the weekend, or if it's midweek and great pick me up.

Namaste!